Before I stopped going to church,I was reading the Bible during the meetings. It was the only way I kept sane. Elders Quorum meetings were the worst for boredom. I think most men did not want to be there.....
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I am really conflicted about the whole alcohol thing. The problem is that I know people at work and in my close family that have been affected by alcoholism. I am confused as to why some people can drink and be ok and not others. And where do I fit it? Would I be able to handle it? Am I willing to take that chance? We as a society have had to come to terms with the devistatingly high cost of al
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Tithing sucks period. Maybe TSCC could give TBMs a break and like every seven years have no contributions whatsoever for a year. Yeah, right.....
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Way back in 1979 I was fresh off my mission. I was very sure TSCC was true but was skeptical of some of the wacky Mormon ways of thinking or the tribal knowledge that circulated in ward buildings and Education Weeks but never publicized. On yet another boring elders quorum meeting the instructor stated his opinion that it was the duty of priesthood holders to get educated and get good, well payin
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Thanks for this post, it has clarified what I have been experiencing in the last few years as I have confided my unbelief to family members. My family is content with what they believe and that is where I have to respect that belief. Trying to convince a TBM of their errors has always proven unproductive, to say the least, for me.
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I have been able to talk to my DW about my disbelief and she is disturbed by the information that I tell her about what I have found wrong with TSCC doctrines and I feel guilty for doing this to her. So I have backed off and let it be. She has always seemed to be on the fence with the church but still wants to believe...
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I really enjoyed your post. I have found that just being inactive is one thing but then to study and find out for yourself that the religion you were born and raised in and believed in all your adult life is a lie, is something totally different. At this point I do not discuss religion with any of my family because, like you say, they do not really want to know why I left TSCC. It just causes unn
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One thing that is bothering me lately is that now that I am an unbelieving member, I find myself having to justify or defend my position of unbelief. The subject of why the church spends so much on temples but not so much on humanitarian activities came up with my DS. My DS referred to a talk by a GA that gave the impressive numbers of what TSCC did in humanitarian activities in 2012. I could not
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In the Philippines, my Filipino companion and I were attacked by a small group of drunk Filipinos. I was not hurt but my companion took a punch with resulting black eye. This experience shook me up as I thought everyone loved us! LOL! My companion was eventually transferred and I then got a American companion. One morning my new companion asked if I was ok. I said I was fine. He asked if I rememb
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My DW and I had to make our annual trip home to visit our parents in Idaho. I have been inactive for fifteen years and my DW has been borderline for five years. The trip back home has been getting more difficult because of my unbelief and invariably the subject of Mormonism comes up with my TBM DM. One year ago I made an oath not to talk about Mormonism again with my DM again, she is in her 80's,
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My DW and I ran into a ward member at the store and heard that her son had left on his mission. I cringe now when I hear news of yet another young man going on a mission because I start thinking of all the time that I lost by serving a mission for a lost cause. Then I was thinking from a business perspective on the effectiveness of missionary work. I figure at least 8 hours a day for six days
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One of my closely held dreams is to one day see the TSCC come to an end. It is, of course, hard to determine the true size and scope and health of TSCC when the numbers are skewed by TSCC to reflect well on TSCC. My only comfort is the 1/3 rule of thumb. (did some time as statistics clerk and I have seen it here on this board before) Here's how it goes: 1/3 of the population of a ward is the
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One of the Mormon myths that I heard back in the day is that the true day of Christ's resurrection as well as birth was April 6th. This rumor was based on a passage in the D&C,I think. Anyone else hear this Mormon myth?
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I love to read posts like this because I also have that wish that TSCC will have to come clean and tell the truth. But then I see they keep building temples, churches and malls. TBM's keep having droves of children. They throw out membership numbers that put them in a positive light.....I need to know for sure!!! What are the actual numbers!!!! AAAARGH!!!!!!
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I was at my mother's house for a visit and came across my color slides of pictures from my mission. I was in the PI in the late 70's. As a missionary I followed the rules as best I could. I was not super crazy TBM but tried to do my duty. As I was looking through the slides it brought back a memory of when my district(I was the district leader)went on a P-day trip that was against the rules. It i
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This is a constant battle for me as my three children have all struggled with alcohol and one with drugs and is a addict/recovering addict. It would be easy to blame the church but I feel it was my parenting skills. I beat myself up constantly for this failure as I became inactive just when my oldest was 13. Thankfully only two of my relatives have told me that if had only been more faithful it w
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I was closed minded most of my TBM days. I just 'knew' the church was true. It wasn't until I could not handle all of the jobs and commitments and demands that the TSCC placed on me, that I cracked. I became inactive and it was only then could I really look at what the TSCC taught and come to realization that I had been duped. All of my children are inactive. My wife is the primary secretary but
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Congratulations! I wish I could have started sooner. I am 54 and I feel more peace and calm now than I ever did trying to be a good Mormon. One downside is that sometimes I feel stuck between two worlds; disliked by Mormons and not quite fitting in with the real world.
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I enjoyed your post as it helps me reflect on my own experience of putting Mormonism behind me. As for me, I am still the same person I was before be coming inactive, not counting tea and coffee. I finally quit wearing garments, what a relief. I looked at other Christian religions and soon realized that they seemed to be the same situation as Mormons, as in; missionary work, tithing, human relati
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Jacob... Have a wonderful day!!!!
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I remember as a junior in high school in seminary class towards the end of the year. The class was given over to a testimony meeting and, it felt like to me,everyone was expected to bear a testimony. It ticked me off and I did not do it. How was I supposed to say the church is true when I really did not know at all? So about ten minutes of silence while everyone waited for me to testify, then sav
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I have a reoccurring dream about garments. Seriously! The dream goes along these lines; I am in a public place, like in a city or neighborhood, maybe even at work and I am dressed in nothing but my garments. I am desperately looking looking for a place to hide or some clothing to put on but can find no relief. I wake up with weird frustrated feeling that lingers till the next day! I am not sure w
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My patriarch could not make up his mind so here I am from the tribe of Joseph. I could never figure out the significance of this, am I special or different or just a Heinz 57 from Europe? Or was I destined to flee from Mormonism?
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I have been inactive for 15 years. It has taken 10 years of inactivity to take off my Mormon blinders and look objectively at Mormonism without getting that knot in my stomach that I used to get when faced with the fact that the religion I have believed in all my life is wrong. I initially became inactive because I was overwhelmed, I felt that I could never measure up to the perfection that is ex
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I was in the Philippines in the late 70's and my passport was held for the two years I was there. Rumor around the mission was that two missionaries somehow got their passports and took a quick plane ride to Hong Kong! Who can blame them, there was a McDonald's there!
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As a missionary I had a meeting with a new convert and his 'anti Mormon' friends, whose purpose was to debunk Mormonism. I knew it was going to be hard particularly when I had no access to the journal of discourses and with only minimal biblical knowledge. In the end the only thing I could do was bear my testimony. Really lame when look back on it now. When faced with facts, a testimony is the la
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How does an atheist determine right or wrong in your own personal life? As in personal boundaries or ways of behaving?
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So if I become an atheist, I am still replacing one belief or way of life with another. I really can see how a person can become atheist once Mormonism had been cast aside. To my surprise my brother took me aside and told me he also does not believe in Mormonism anymore and that his faith in God has been shaken. He remains active due to family constraints.
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Thanks to all who posted. This site really has helped me gain new perspectives. Changing a way of life is difficult and this is my only outlet to what I am going through. Thanks again!
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When I first came to terms that I no longer believed in TSCC, I still had a desire to believe in Christ so I started listening to Christian radio and at first really enjoyed the messages so much so that I was often moved to tears and accepted Jesus when prompted by the speaker. So as I continued to listen, familiar things keep popping up, like, missionary work, tithing, praying for things. I ha
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